Sunday, 20 November 2011

Yet another Bangladeshi was shot dead along Indian border at Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj early yesterday by the Border Security Force (BSF), despite its pledges to stop killing, instead.

Deceased Shariful Islam, 23, a cattle trader, was the son of Shamsul Haque Kalu of Tarapur-Shahapara union of the upazila.

Killing along the Indian border still continues despite its much assurance that the BSF members would be directed to show restrain and use rubber bullets instead of lethal ammunition to stop it.

According to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) sources, Shariful was shot when the BSF troops in Pashchimbanga's Malda district opened fire on a group of cattle traders who were crossing Shingnagar border.

The other cattle traders rescued Shariful but he died on the way to Shibganj Upazila Health Complex, said Lt Col Jahangir Hossain.

Later, police recovered the body and sent it to the Sadar hospital morgue for an autopsy.

BGB officials sent a note to its Indian counterpart protesting the killing, Lt Col Jahangir said.

To prevent border killings, Indian Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, during his visit to Bangladesh in late July this year, told reporters, “We have issued strict instructions to our Border Security Force that in no circumstances should they fire upon anyone trying to cross, either from Bangladesh to India or India to Bangladesh.”

"The killing took place around 5am on Saturday when a group of Bangladeshi traders crossed the border at pillar no 179 in Shingnogor with cattle," commander of 39 Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) battalion Lt Col Jahangir Hossain told bdnews24.com.

BGB officials said soldiers of BSF battalion 123 of West Bengal's Doulatpur camp in Maldah opened fire on the cattle traders.

The deceased has been identified as Shariful Islam of Tarapur-Sahaparha in Monkosha union of Shibganj upazila and is the son of Shamsul Haque Kalu.

"His co-traders managed to bring him across into the Bangladesh side of the border in critical condition. He died on his way to Shibganj health complex," said Col Jahangir.

The body has been sent to Chapainawabganj Sadar Hospital for autopsy.

A protest letter has been sent to BSF over the killing, added Jahangir. The issue is discussed in every BGB-BSF meeting.

International human-right outfits Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have severely criticised the Indian government for continuous killing of unarmed Bangladeshis along the border.

New York-based Human Rights Watch in a statement on July 25 said those against whom there is credible evidence of culpability should be prosecuted as part of an effort to end longstanding impunity for abuses along the border with Bangladesh.

Human Rights Watch found numerous cases of indiscriminate use of force, arbitrary detention, torture, and killings by the security force, without adequate investigation or punishment.

The Bangladeshi government has formally protested the killings.

The BSF chief, Raman Shrivastava, after a four-day visit to Dhaka on Sep 30 claimed to the media that the number of killings was 55 in 2009 but so far in 2011, it came down to seven.

Raman said his forces want "to bring it down to zero level" and have introduced non-lethal weapons in many places.

Over 900 Bangladeshi nationals have been killed by the BSF over the last decade, many of them when they crossed into Indian territory for cattle rustling or other smuggling activities.

Sunday, 13 November 2011

Of them, two youths were picked up by BSF from border area of Thakurgaon on Friday while a teenage girl was abducted from Manikganj and trafficked to India about seven months ago.

According to our Thakurgaon correspondent: BSF handed over two Bangladeshi youths on Friday evening to BGB following a Company Commander-level flag meeting.

The meeting was held at the zero line of Cochal border under Haripur upazila.

The returnees are Soiful Islam,28, son of J Ali of Podampur village and Aynul Islam,28, son of Begdul Islam of Fotapur village under Thakurgaon Sadar upazila.

BGB commanding officer Lt Colonel Mahfuzul Haque told this correspondent over cell phone that the BSF men of Senpara camp picked up the two youths from the border when they went to the zero line to see the barbed wire fence in the morning.

Our Kushtia correspondent adds: BSF handed over a teenage girl to BGB on Friday. She was trafficked to India through Beanpole border about seven months ago.

A student of class nine at a school in Sadar upazila in Manikganj district, a local gang abducted her on her way to school on March 2 this year.

When the gang demanded Tk2 lakh as ransom, her father filed an abduction case with Manikganj Sadar police station accusing nine people on March 6.

At this, the abductors trafficked her to India on April 19.

Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi national who was injured seriously in BSF firing on Goborda border in India opposite to Baikari border in Sadar upazila of Satkhira on October 28, died at Khulna 250-bed Hospital on Friday.

Victim Tajul Islam, 35, son of Md Ziad Ali of Kushkhali village in Sadar upazila was a cattle trader, reports our Satkhira correspondent.

The BSF men fired on the Bangladeshi cattle traders at Goborda at about 4:15 am on October 27 leaving Tajul Islam injured, sources said.

He, however, managed to return to Bangladesh territory and was admitted to Satkhira Sadar Hospital. He was shifted to Khulna hospital as his condition deteriorated.

Tuesday, 1 November 2011

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Sunday handed over an Indian citizen to the members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) at Roumari border.

He was identified as Monirul Islam, 25, son of late Hakim Uddin of Charmari village under Mankarchar PS in West Bengal.

According to BGB sources, border guards arrested Monirul from Pillar No. 1057 along Dharmapur frontier in Roumari upazila two and half years ago on charge of intrusion.

A company commander level meeting of the BGB and BSF was held at Boraibari border in Roumari at around 4:00pm on Sunday. At the meeting, Monirul was handed over to the BSF members as his jail term ended recently.

Subedar Mahiuddin led the BGB team while BK Singh, Inspector of BSF Shahapara camp led the BSF team at the meeting.